Metascore®Mixed or average reviewsbased on a weighted average of allcritic review scores.

50

out of 100

Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern

The younger man's personality is all the more startling for the skill and generosity with which Mr. Brolin creates a persuasively vital K while foreshadowing the grump to come. The script explains the change in elaborate detail, but the performance defies explanation; it's mysteriously marvelous.

Finding smart ways to bring novelty to the franchise without forsaking what made the original so much fun (and in fact doubling down on some of those qualities), Barry Sonnenfeld's Men in Black 3 easily erases the second installment's vague but unpleasant memory and -- though we might hope producers will quit while they're ahead -- paves the way for future installments.

MIB3 is one giant leap for mankind because Josh Brolin shows up to play the younger Agent K. And he just nails the feat, triumphantly creating a riff on/homage to the Tommy Lee Jones-ness of K that goes much deeper (and funnier) than a simple imitation of drawl and speech patterns.

Parents need to know that, like its two predecessors, Men in Black III is part buddy comedy and part alien action/adventure, so there are tons of creeptastic creatures (though fewer than in the original movie), plus interspecies peril and a considerable body count. Several aliens and a few humans are killed in shoot-outs (many involving over-the-top sci-fi weapons), but no one that viewers really care about is killed. The language is occasionally salty ("s--t," "bulls--t," "ass"), but aside from one fairly graphic tongue kiss between an alien and a sexily dressed woman, there's nothing too risque. In the end, good triumphs over evil, and humans prove they're a race worth saving.

Families can talk about the enduring popularity of the Men in Black series. How are the aliens in these films different than ones portrayed in other sci-fi movies?

Do you think popular movies need to keep adding sequels? How do you think the third film compares to the other two? Should the Men in Black franchise end here?

Why are odd-couple buddy films so fun to watch? What are some of the best buddy action adventures?

The good stuff

Messages: Characters' selflessness saves the Earth, good triumphs over evil, and the virtues of teamwork, sacrifice, and unconditional friendship are extolled via the main characters. That said, problems are often solved via violent means.

Role models: The MIB agents are all brave and loyal and willing to sacrifice their safety -- and lives, if necessary -- to save the Earth from the perils posed by aliens.

What to watch for

Violence: A relatively high body count, and most of the dead are aliens disguised as humans. One alien called "Boris the Animal" kills people by releasing deadly dart-like stingers at them. The MIB kill aliens with a space gun that disintegrates them. There's an extended face-to-face battle between Agents J, K, and their alien nemesis. Weapons include regular guns, high-tech space guns, and the monstrous alien creature with the stingers. Expect lots of alien guts and goo.

Sex: One rather graphic kiss (the alien "man" has an exaggeratedly long tongue that a woman sucks on), plus flirting between a male and female agent. A correctional officer makes jokes about conjugal visits and whether a scantily clad woman visiting a prisoner is "clean" or not.

Language: A half-dozen uses of the words "s--t" and "bulls--t," as well as "pissed off," "ass," "damn," "hell," "stupid," "bastard," "oh God," and other mild exclamations. One joke intended to highlight outdated attitudes about race includes the word "darkies."

Consumerism: Christian Louboutin heels are featured in the opening sequence, and many Ford cars are featured in the movie.

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Background drinking and smoking at a party set in the '60s scenes.

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